[hayd]

There's no property management monopoly.... Not by a long way.

Fundamentally the problem is the company is hired to provide a service for the landlord but that service is paid for by the tenant. Hence usual market incentives for good behavior don't exist.

[ikeyany]

Lack of incentives for good behavior is the natural outcome of a necessity like housing being privately owned--with no realistic alternatives. Liken this to water; we are free to buy our own expensive water if we want, but wouldn't you be outraged if there were no baseline of free/low cost tap water?